Investigation (IV)

11:14 P.M. 

Manila National Police Station. 

July 20th, the year 2018. Friday. 

"Abbey, Marcus reminded us to stay here. We need to be careful of our move right now. It's the middle of the dead night, something might happen to you," Zoey butted in as she stood beside Carmela. 

"It's okay. I can defend myself. I know how to do martial arts. Need to check on him. My parents were away for some trip. I promise I'll be back right away." Abbey announced. She sprinted towards her car parked at the exit of the station. She climbed in her car and started it as she zoomed out of the station without looking at her back. 

"I need to tag along with Abbey. Something dangerous might happen to her now. We know that someone was watching us," Mina decided. Carmela clasped his arm that made him halted right in his place. Mina widened his eyes towards Carmela as she shook her head.

"Carmela," Mina called out to her as Abbey's car vanished from sight. Carmela sighed, turning to him.

"She knows what she's doing. Abbey isn't the one who would make rash decisions. She was always the careful one among us. Let her check for her brother. I'm sure she will go back," Carmela remarked. She turned her heel around again, glancing over at the doors of the station. She wondered how the investigation with Xian inside. Marcus was bombarding him with so many questions that he didn't even know how to answer. 

When she saw how desperate Marcus was to reveal the killer, she knew he knew what he was up to. From the joint of his assumptions, Marcus was the one who was always there to protect them at all costs. Carmela sighed, sitting back down on the bench. Zoey sat down beside her while their cell phone vibrated again. 

Zoey looked upon her cell phone and saw that it was yet again the birthday reminder of Katrina. Mina turned off his cell phone and stuffed it back into his pockets as he swallowed constantly. Matthew exhaled. He licked his bottom lip as he wondered where Katrina was right now. 

…

Marcus barged into their office, panting. His teammates, Lieutenant Lirio and Sergeant Kim, saluted. Marcus nodded, heading straight towards his office. He retrieved a clipboard with a pen and clean sheets of paper on it. Marcus shut the door tightly as he glanced over at Lieutenant Lirio. He stood up from his seat rapidly, handing over the copy of the results. 

"This is the results, Lieutenant Dela Rosa. We received a copy of the fingerprint testing for the bracelet a minute ago. Do we have to review it for you?" Lieutenant Lirio asked him. Marcus scanned the paper and saw the percentage. He furrowed his eyebrow. How can the killer retrieve Xian and Katrina's fingerprints in a blink?

He nodded right away. Lieutenant Lirio whispered to the officer who was typing so fast on his computer. 

"Did you call the officers who chased the car that was holding the real culprit and Katrina Fajardo?" Marcus glanced at his subordinate as it nodded. 

"They're trapped on the other side of the national road towards the outside of the capital of Manila. They're searching for Katrina in the woods. The same place we searched for Margo's body," Lieutenant Lirio explained. Marcus creased his forehead over while gripping the paper on the clipboard. 

"What do you mean? They were heading towards where Margo's crime scene happened?" Marcus asked him, and Lieutenant Lirio nodded. Marcus scoffed and looked over the window as he thought it was deep, hard. 

"Misdirecting us once again. They knew the police would investigate over there. They escape right away, towards another hideout again. We had them so close earlier in the parking lot," Marcus mumbled. He glanced over at Sergeant Kim, who joined their conversation. The officers scrambled upon the keyboard of the computer and reviewed the results. 

"The officers were still there, but I guess it was in the middle of the night. The culprit must have escaped by now before they reached their hideout," Sergeant Kim muttered. Marcus sighed. 

"Command them to search the complete area tonight. It may not be successful as we may think, but we can find any clues on who is the real culprit. Also, what he was doing after the murder of Margo Monteverde. And, I shot the leg of the one who abducted Katrina earlier, and I knew he would limp right away. Stay tuned for someone who's shot by their leg," Marcus commanded. Lieutenant Lirio commanded an officer inside to call the officers over the woods.

"We had them so close earlier. The culprit wasn't the same person. He may have other accomplices rather than the one we were chasing," Marcus muttered. Sergeant Kim listened to him intently while pursing her lips. The thought of the red-haired girl crossed his mind. He needed to ask for more details about that woman whom Xian met. He was sitting down in the investigation room, handcuffed. Marcus faced the two in command again in his office whenever he was not around.

"I need to ask Xian Santos tonight. If I retrieve a statement from him, there's something you two need to do. Retrieve the case file from his accident in the Vehicular Division. It will help the case of Margo Monteverde and for Katrina also," Marcus reminded the two of them. He patted them on their shoulders and went outside of the office hastily. 

He laid down the clipboard over his hips as he walked fast towards the investigation room. He glanced at his wristwatch and it was gonna be thirty minutes before midnight. 

The officers who were standing by the investigation room saluted him right away. He nodded and opened the door. He saw Xian sitting down in the room. His handcuffed hands on his lap, staring at the mirror next to him. His face was emotionless as Marcus sighed over the glass. Xian can't see him outside, and Marcus knocked first before entering the door. 

Marcus didn't want to turn off the surveillance camera. They can record their interview if Xian wanted to avert the conversation. Xian stared at him as he made his way towards the seat and sat down quietly while placing the clipboard at his front. Xian leaned back in his seat as Marcus sighed and looked up at him. 

Marcus unclipped the results from the clipboard and showed them to Xian. He averted his eyes from Marcus towards the paper and widened his eyes when he saw right away his name over there. Xian looked up from the paper to Marcus with astonishment. He panted right away, and he didn't know what to say as his mouth became dry over seconds.

"The fingerprint results on the bracelet found earlier at Katrina Fajardo's abduction scene... we found something. We found a match, Mr. Santos. It was you," Marcus unraveled. He placed his elbows on the table, as Xian didn't bother to utter a word against what he said. 

"I'm gonna be inquisitive to you that will be both helpful to us. Don't frighten yourself with my questions, Xian," Marcus whispered. He knew no one could hear it outside of the investigation room in case someone was watching them. Marcus raised his eyebrows as if asking if Xian understood it. Xian nodded, although he didn't know how to comprehend what he just whispered. 

"I'm gonna ask from the very start: Can you narrate what happened the day of your accident? How far did you remember something about that tragic day?" Marcus queried. He crossed his arms arrogantly. He pretended to be investigating a loathing stranger across from him. Xian swallowed first before placing his hands on the table. 

"I don't remember the exact date. I had gone to Kelly's Diner early that morning before the accident happened while I was chasing someone. A person wearing an oversized black hoodie. The one who rode off from his motorcycle. He's trying to spray paint something on the car that was parked at the entrance of the lot. I assumed he is also the one who did something barbarous to my car," Xian spoke softly.